Inhibition of Lipopolysaccaride-induced Inducible Nitric Oxide (iNOS) mRNA Expression and Nitric Oxide Production by Higenamine in Murine Peritoneal Macrophages

• Published in: Archives of pharmacal research 1999, Vol.22 (1), p.55-59
• Main Authors: Lee, Hoi-Young, Lee, Jang-Soon, Kim, Eun-Ju, Han, Jeung-Whan, Lee, Hyang-Woo, Kang, Young-Jin, Chang, Ki-Churl
• Format: Article
• Language: Korean
• ISSN: 0253-6269; 1976-3786

Nitric oxide synthesized by inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) has been implicated as a mediator of inflammation in rheumatic and autoimmune diseases. The effects of higenamine, a tetrahydroisoquinoline compound, on induction of NOS by bacterial lipopolysaccaride (LPS) were examined in murine peritoneal macrophages. LPS-induced nitrite/nitrate production was markedly inhibited by higenamine which at 0.01 mM, decreased nitrite/nitrate levels by $48.7{\pm}4.4%$This was comparable to the inhibition of LPS-induced nitrite/nitrate production by tetrandrin ($49.51{\pm}2.02%$). at the same concentration. Northern and Western blot analysis of iNOS expression demonstrated that iNOS expression was significantly attenuated following co-incubation of peritoneal macrophages with LPS (10 $\mu\textrm{g}$/m;; 18hrs) and higenamine (0.001, 0.,01 mM; 18hrs). These results suggest that higenamine can inhibit LPS-induced expression of iNOS mRNA in murine peritoneal macrophages. The clinical implications of these findings remain to be established.